g title: _Vray
Description de Trois Voyages des Mer tres admirables faicis_ ...
_par les navires d'Hollande &c. Zelande au nord_ ... _vers les
Royaumes de China &c. Catay, etc._ Afterwards this work was
frequently reprinted in different languages, both singly and in DE
BEY'S, PURCHAS', and other collections of Travels. See on this point
P.A. Tiele, _Memoire bibliographique sur les journaux des
navigateurs Neerlandais_. Amsterdam, 1867. ]

[Footnote 128: From two large crosses which were found erected on
the island. This shows that the Russians had also explored the north
part of Novaya Zemlya before the West-Europeans. ]

[Footnote 129: The name Oliver Brunel occurs so often in accounts of
the first voyages to Novaya Zemlya, and the man who bore it appears
to have exercised so great an influence on the development of
commercial communications with Russia, and the sending out of
exploratory expeditions to the North Polar Sea, that I shall give a
brief sketch of his life, mainly after S. Muller, _Geschiedenis der
Noordsche Compagnie_, Utrecht, 1874, p. 26.

Oliver Brunel was born in Brussels, and in 1565 went in a Russian
vessel from Kola to Kolmogor in order to learn the Russian language
and make himself acquainted with the trade of the region. But the
English, who of course eagerly endeavoured to prevent any intrusion
on their newly-discovered commercial territory, prevailed on the
Russians to keep him in prison for several years. In the end he was
set at liberty, or rather handed over to the rich merchants Jakov
and Grigory Anikiev (Stroganov). In consequence of this, Brunel came
to take part in the commercial expeditions sent out by this
mercantile house, (which by the conquest of Siberia acquired a
world-historical importance, both by land and sea,) to the parts of
Asia bordering on Russia, whereby he became well acquainted with the
Polar Sea and the Gulf of Obi. Brunel afterwards brought about
direct communication between the Netherlands and the great
commercial house, almost sovereign _de facto_ if not _de jure_ in
extensive countries. In connection with this Brunel made strenuous
exertions to open in earnest the navigation of the Netherlands to
the White Sea, and there found a Netherlands factory, which was
placed not on Rosen Island, which was occupied by the English, but
on the spot where the present Archangel is situated. Brunel next
took part in preparations for a Russian North-east expedition, for
which